The Scarf
by Absolut
Summary: Clarice is preparing for a dull night, but something unexpected could overwhelm her. Kinda seasonal little thing.


**The Scarf**  
By Absolut.  
  
Disclaimer: The characters of Hannibal Lecter, Clarice Starling and Ardelia Mapp do not belong to me, but to the inspired Thomas Harris. I'm just borrowing them for a few hours, and will leave them unharmed after. No copyright infringement intended. No profit either.  
  
A/N: Takes place a few months after the movie ending. Kinda seasonal little thing.  
Clarice Starling shivered. It had been weeks the heating system of her car had given her troubles, but she had always postponed the visit to the garage to have it checked. And of course, it had chosen tonight to die. When she thought about it, it was not really surprising. This whole evening and night were supposed to go wrong anyway.  
  
She had actually volunteered for this mission. Well, 'mission' was a big word ... She was staking out down the apartment of a possible suspect in a traffic of paintings. They had been watching the guy for about ten days now. When her boss had asked for a volunteer for tonight assignment, her colleagues had started looking around with embarrassment. Today was February 14th, and none of them was really willing to explain their respective wives or girlfriends why they could not have a classical St Valentine evening.  
  
Clarice did not really have this kind of problem. As far as she could remember, she had always spent Valentine day alone at home. Not that she had not wanted to go out. But with years she had come to the conclusion that her behavior was kind of scaring the men she would have liked to go out with. The only men that had invited her on such occasions were the one desperate enough to invite any woman just not to be alone on such an occasion. And she was not interested in playing the spare wheel. Better alone than in bad company.  
  
And as far as Ardelia Mapp was concerned, her friend had spent two full weeks deciding which invitation she would accept out of the dozen she received, involving Clarice in the decision process. Which had not made Clarice feel better. The two women even had an argument when Ardelia had offered to lend to Clarice one of her suitors for the evening ...  
  
So, in the end, spending the evening alone at home watching one of these fluffy movie they always programmed on this day or staking out in her car, that did not make a big difference. And tonight at least she had a valuable alibi for not celebrating St Valentine. The only thing she had not considered was the cold and her deficient heating system ! At least she could not fall asleep.  
  
Clarice did not think there would be much action tonight. She knew from the report of the previous surveillance team that Mark Hill, the guy she was supposed to watch over had come home at 6:35 pm. She had seen the man' s girlfriend of the day arrive at 8:03 pm. They would probably spend the night upstairs and would not reappear before the end of her shift. Unless they had plan to join some friends at a disco, in which case Clarice would have to follow. She was not quite sure which she actually preferred: the cold of her car or the crowd and noise of the disco ...  
  
Clarice put her hands in her trousers pocket to try to warm them a bit and started to sing in the dark, carefully avoiding any song having anything to do with love.  
Clarice glanced at her watch. 10:12 pm. She had been sitting there for more than three hours now. Nine hours to go before Steve and Ray would arrive to take over. She had gone through all the barrack room songs her father had taught her when she was a kid. The night was going to be a long one. She was starting to be hungry as well ... and thirsty. She had prepared herself some coffee and a sandwich before she left home, but the flashing neon sign of the chinese take-away facing Hill' s building was more appealing than her home-made dinner. Yet, she was not supposed to leave her car.  
  
On the other end, the restaurant looked quite deserted and she would not abandon her position more than ten minutes. Hill and her blond friend were probably having dinner right now and would not go out soon ... if they were not yet in bed, that is. Clarice sighed to the thought of a male nude body ...  
  
She hesitated another ten minutes, but the temptation, or was it the frustration, was too strong. and she finally stepped out of her car. She had a look up and checked the light was on at Hill' s dining room window. Everything was all right. Besides, she could still see the entrance of the building from the restaurant. She locked the door of the car and crossed the street.  
  
She pushed the door of the restaurant and a wave of heat struck her in the face. Oh God, that was good ! She got to the counter and looked at what was available. She finally decided for spring rolls and Peking duck with rice. She also ordered a beer. This was strictly forbidden by the procedure of course, but the alcohol would help keep her warm ... And there would be nobody to tell anyway.  
  
She paid for her meal and went out with a little paper bag. the whole operation had not even taken ten minutes, and she had been watching the building door all the time. Her mood had improved a bit when she sat back in her car.  
  
She put the bag on the passenger seat next to her and took out the beer. She opened it and had just one sip, then she put it on the dashboard. The beer was to last whole night, so she would have to economize on it.  
  
She opened one of the little white boxes. It smelled good. She took one roll spring in her hand and put half of it in her mouth. She closed her eyes to enjoy it better. It was then that ...  
  
"Good evening, Clarice"  
  
Clarice opened her eyes suddenly and pointed them at the rear mirror. She froze when she saw the silhouette she could not possibly mistake for anybody else. She tried to talk but the food in her mouth prevented the air to come out of her throat. She tried to swallow but something went wrong and she started to cough like crazy. She hardly heard the low and slightly metallic voice go on.  
  
"I'm sorry, Clarice. I sure did not want to startle you this way."  
  
Clarice finally recovered and turned her whole body to the back seat. She got confirmation that her ears had not betrayed her. He was sitting quietly on the right, behind the passenger seat, his legs crossed and his gloved hands resting on his knee. He gave her a smile when she looked at him.  
  
" - Dr. Lecter ! What the hell are you doing here ?  
- Tsk tsk, Clarice ... Is this a way to welcome an old friend ?  
- We're not f..."  
  
Clarice suddenly realized the situation and in the blinking of an eye she pulled her gun out of her holster and pointed it at him. "Put your hands up ! Immediately !". He stopped smiling and his eyes sparkled with interest. He raised both his hands, always keeping his eyes on her.  
  
" - Here" he said softly. "Does it make you more comfortable, Clarice ?  
- Don't try to fool with me, Dr. Lecter.  
- This was not my intention, I assure you. But it certainly pleases me to see that you your reflexes are intact."  
  
Clarice could not help seeing his gaze briefly catch the beer can before his eyes came back to her. But he did not comment further. Strangely, Clarice was feeling nervous, but not scared. And it had little to do with the fact that she was on the right side of the gun. Her voice was calm when she repeated her question. "What are you doing here, Dr. Lecter ?"  
  
Hannibal felt a shiver of pleasure run along his spine, but nothing showed on his face. She had not softened. He could not take his eyes off her figures. The lights of the street were entering through the car window and playfully lighting her face. She was beautiful.  
  
" - I came for you, Clarice.  
- For me ? You sure have some nerve !  
- So they say ... May I lower my hands now ?  
- Don't move !" she warned him.  
  
She had not raised her voice but her tone was determined.  
  
" - Come on, Clarice. You know you will not shoot me, and you know I will not harm you.  
- You have not answered my question yet, Dr. Lecter.  
- Forgive me, I thought I did. I wanted to see you, Clarice. As a matter of facts, I missed you.  
- And so you decided you would break in my car and have a little chit-chat, right ?"  
  
He chuckled. "Well, I suppose this is a way to present it; though I might not have phrased it this way." Clarice saw his eyes darkened suddenly, and his tone got deeper when he went on, to the point it moved something in her. "I really missed you, Clarice."  
  
Clarice put her gun down and he lowered his arms. He took care to rest his hands back on his knees, so that she could see them. He wanted her to feel secure.  
  
" - You should really have this heating system repaired, Clarice. You are going to catch a cold sitting here whole night.  
- I should really call reinforcements and arrest you. This is what I should **really **do.  
- But you are not going to do it.  
- You would find a way out before they arrive anyway. And I don't want anybody else to be hurt.  
- Neither do I ... Well, not tonight anyway."  
  
It was Clarice' s turn to chuckle.  
  
" - So what is it ? A truce, isn't it ?  
- Yes. This is what it intended to be. After all, tonight **is** a special night, isn't it ?"  
  
It took Clarice a few seconds before she understood what he meant.  
  
" - Oh, that !  
- How comes you're working on Valentine night, Clarice ?  
- I volunteered.  
- Of course you did.  
- Didn't have anything better to do anyway.  
- That's a pity. Men are blind ... "  
  
For a brief moment, Clarice caught something very special in his eyes. For some reason she could not have worded, she felt he was sincere. He was not toying with her like he had done in the past.  
  
" - But on the other hand, I must confess it suits me too." he went on. As she looked at him apparently not understanding, he became more explicit. "This way I can have the pleasure of seeing you, and bring my modest tribute to your beauty." Clarice looked at him in disbelief.  
" - You came here to ... give me a Valentine present ?  
- This is what men do, don't they ? You must excuse my manners, Clarice. But I have lived a little bit as a recluse for some time. I may have forgotten the ways and customs.  
- Are you kidding me again, Dr. Lecter ?"  
  
He tilted his head on the left. "I'd never want to do that, Clarice. May I ?" he asked, showing the inside of his coat and asking permission to take something from it. Clarice was under shock. She nodded without a word.  
  
He slowly put his hand under his coat and took a parcel from it. It was the size of a big envelope and was neatly packed in a red gift-wrap. He delicately laid it on the back seat near him. His eyes were still locked to hers.  
  
"I think it is time I take my leave, now. I would not want to disturb you further from your duty." He paused for a second, registering each and every expression of hers, populating the room of his memory palace that was entirely dedicated to her. "Happy Valentine, Clarice ... See you around ...".  
  
And before Clarice could make a move or utter a single word, he was gone.  
  
It took Clarice long seconds to recollect her senses. She shook her head to ensure she had not been dreaming. But the red parcel on her back seat was shouting all had been real. She reached for it and kept it in her lap for a while, not daring to open it. But curiosity was too strong.  
  
Her fingers started to delicately unwrap her gift. She lifted the last fold of paper and discovered a cream silk scarf. She caressed it. It was so soft under her fingers. She took it and unfolded it. It was then she saw the drawing ... The drawing was painted in brown watercolor and it was a portrait of ... **her** ... holding a lamb in her arms.  
  
But what kept her eyes was the face ... It was **her** face, but the face of a Clarice Starling who had fought and defeated the demons that had haunted her ... A fight that had lasted long and left traces on her figures, but a fight that had be won ...  
  
Clarice buried her face in the fine fabric and took a deep breath. As his scent invaded her lungs, the first tear rolled from her eyes.  
  
"Thank you, Hannibal Lecter ..." she whispered.  


**- The End - **

  


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_Thanks for reading. Leave a review if you like to ..._  
_Absolut.  
  
_   



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